A booster dose of Johnson & Johnson Inc’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was 84% efficient at stopping hospitalization in South African healthcare staff who grew to become contaminated because the Omicron variant unfold, researchers mentioned on Thursday.
The actual-world research, which has not been peer-reviewed, was primarily based on a second dose of the J&J vaccine administered to 69,092 staff between Nov. 15 and Dec. 20.
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An preliminary course of inoculation has been proven to supply solely vastly lowered safety towards an infection by Omicron, which is spreading shortly by way of many nations after first being recognized in southern Africa and Hong Kong in late November.
Nonetheless, a number of research have recommended {that a} booster dose supplies vital safety towards extreme sickness from the variant.
The South African research confirmed the J&J vaccine’s effectiveness at stopping hospitalization rose from 63% shortly after a booster was administered to 84% 14 days later. Effectiveness reached 85% at one to 2 months post-boost.
“It reassures us that COVID-19 vaccines proceed to be efficient for the aim they have been designed, which is to guard folks towards extreme illness and demise,” mentioned Linda-Gail Bekker, the research’s co-lead investigator.
“That is yet one more piece of proof that we now have not misplaced that impression even within the face of a really mutated variant.”
Bekker mentioned the jury was “nonetheless out” on the problem of additional boosters for the J&J vaccine, which is run as a single shot for the primary full dose, and which is less complicated to move to distant African rural areas than the rival, two-dose Pfizer mRNA vaccine as a result of higher warmth tolerance.
“What we’re displaying is that two doses actually restore full safety, and I don’t suppose we are able to extrapolate from this that we’re going to want a 3rd or a fourth enhance in any respect.”
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Researchers mentioned their evaluation had a number of limitations, together with quick follow-up occasions. These averaged eight days for healthcare staff who had obtained their enhance throughout the earlier 13 days, or 32 days for these boosted 1-2 months earlier.
In an organization assertion, Mathai Mammen, world head at Janssen Analysis & Growth, mentioned the agency believed safety could possibly be as a result of strong T-cell responses induced by the vaccine.
“Moreover, these information counsel that Omicron will not be affecting the T-cell responses generated by our vaccine,” he mentioned.
— Reporting by Wendell Roelf
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